Amy Gallatin StillwatersPardee-Morris House Twilight Concert Series325 Lighthouse Rd.New HavenAug.19, 2026 Musician Amy Gallatin told the tickled audience gathered on the lawn of the historic Pardee-Morris House that her band would perform a love song, then a fighting and cheating song, “beca use that’s how it is.” Wednesday evening was the final show for Pardee-Morris House’s Twilight Concert Series. Amy Gallatin Stillwaters came down from the Hartford area to showcase their acoustic blend of country and bluegrass music. Gallatin revealed that her bandmate and husband, resophonic guitarist and singer Roger Williams, is famous in the bluegrass world. His son J.D. Williams was there sprightly playing the mandolin alongside them. Dave Orlomoski kept the beat thrumming with his doghouse bass. After the band played a sweet tune about the love of my life and rose of my heart, it was time for the cheating song. I quickly grabbed my phone. I better record this, I thought. My gut was correct. Amy Gallatin Stillwaters got to strumming those strings and the rollicking began. Well, I’ve been a fooooool, sang Williams. (A man has never been more right.) I’ve been a foo-ooo-oool, followed Gallatin, her voice harmonizing perfectly with Williams. (I hope for a partnership as harmonious as their vocals, I thought.) Forgiving you each time you done me wrongI’ve been a long time leavingAnd I’ll be a long time goneGone, gone, gone, goneLoved you so muchLoved you so much-uch-uchhhI stand around when I should have moved alongI’ve been a long time leavingAnd I’ll be a long time gone With their honest voices and deft playing, Amy Gallatin Stillwaters made Roger Miller’s country song “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’ (But I’ll Be a Long Time Gone)” their own. The fast-paced, twangy bluegrass style turned lyrics about betrayal and heartbreak into a song you’d want to dance a jig to. Throughout the evening, the band played a variety of tunes, some original and some covers, with a spirited energy. I especially loved the lively instrumental “Two Gingers,” named after Irish whiskey and written by J.D. Williams. The musicians’ fingers moved on their instruments at the speed of light as they nimbly plucked out interlocking notes. The rhythm was so infectiously bouncy, it lifted me up and brought me down when it was over. I felt a genuine sense of loss at the end. Another memorable song was their somber cover of Guy Clark’s “Immigrant Eyes.” “This is a song I’ve been singing since 1998, and it’s more and more relevant every year I sing it,” said Gallatin. Oh Ellis Island was swarmingLike a scene from a costume ballAlive with the colors of EuropeAnd on fire with the hope of it allThere my father’s own father stood huddledWith the tired and the hungry and the scaredTurn of the century PilgrimsBound by the dream they shared As Gallatin sang earnestly to the crowd, the band’s playing behind her sounded just as yearning. The moment had an air of significance, and I felt we were all likely grieving the America we thought we knew. Amy Gallatin Stillwaters provided an exhilarating ending to the Twilight Concert Series, their show a perfect mix of melancholy, funny and sweet. I, for one, could not get over “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’ (But I’ll Be a Long Time Gone),” which I found to be catchy as all hell. That melisma stuck with me long after the night was over. Well, I’ve been a foo-ooo-oool, I sang into my car’s rearview mirror as I added the song to my playlist for the drive home. For more Amy Gallatin Stillwaters, go to amygallatin.com. To learn about the Pardee-Morris House, visit newhavemuseum.org. The post A Long Time Leavin’, But Hard To Forget appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less